Green Bean Casserole

greenbeancasserole This Green Bean Casserole recipe is a classic holiday side dish that needs just a few minutes of prep and can be made with fresh, frozen, or canned green beans. Whether it’s for Thanksgiving dinner or a weeknight side, this crowd favourite will have everyone coming back for seconds. In this green bean casserole, tender green beans, cheese and crispy onions are tossed in a delicious creamy sauce and then baked.

4 cups frozen cut green beans see notes for canned or fresh beans
1 (10.5 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
½ cup milk
1 tsp. soy sauce
½ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
¼ tsp. seasoned salt
1½ cups crispy fried onions, divided

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the frozen green beans and boil until tender crisp, about 2-3 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine green beans with soup, milk, soy sauce, pepper, salt, 1 cup of crispy onions and cheese if using (see notes). Transfer to a 2 qt baking dish.

Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes or bubbly.

Remove from oven and stir. Top with remaining onions and return to oven for an additional 10 minutes or until golden.

Makes 8 servings.

Cook’s Notes:

Make-Ahead: This casserole can be prepped up to 48 hours ahead of time-store the topping on the side until baking. Remove the casserole from the fridge for at least 30 minutes before baking. You may need to add 10 minutes of extra cooking time.
Leftovers: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Canned green beans have a softer texture and require no prep-drain and stir (my personal favourite).
Frozen green beans require no cutting and have a tender-crisp texture. They should be boiled for about 5 minutes and you’ll need to add extra salt.
Fresh green beans have a tender-crisp texture and a fresh flavour. Simmer for 8 minutes.
Sauce: Condensed cream of mushroom soup is the base of this casserole and makes it easy to prep. Use any flavour of “cream of” soup, such as cream of celery.
Crispy Fried Onions: French’s Crispy Fried Onions adds both flavour and crunch.

Variations:

Cheese: I love to add 1-2 cups of freshly shredded cheddar cheese to the green bean casserole sauce.
From Scratch: Swap out the soup for mushroom cream sauce and replace the onions with fried shallots.
Garlic: Add garlic, minced cloves cooked in butter or ½ tsp. of garlic powder.
Topping: Swap the crispy onions with ¼ cup of Panko breadcrumbs mixed with 1 Tbsp. each of melted butter and Parmesan cheese.